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Mercedes to open 175 AMG Performance Centers worldwide

In case there was any doubt that demand for big-displacement, high-output machines continues unabated in the face of calls for environmentally-conscious hybrids and a faltering global economy, Mercedes has announced an ambitious expansion of its AMG performance division. Over the course of the next year, AMG will open a whopping 175 new "performance centers" catering to power-mad consumers around the world.

The new outlets will allow an increased level of involvement for AMG customers as Mercedes moves to distinguish the tuning house's offerings as their own brand. Each outlet will be outfitted with matching décor and whatnot, but more importantly, will offer customers a direct line to AMG's performance Mecca in Affalterbach, Germany, and act as a local home base for the AMG Performance Roadshow. The expansion will focus on 15 key markets, including the United States, Japan, China, and of course, its home market of Germany. As if customers needed any more coercion to fall for a fire-breathing Teutonic masterpiece of engineering.

posted : 11/28/2008 @6:02:13 PM
Ad firms could lose big in GM/Chrysler merger

GM and Chrysler spent a combined $4.75 billion on marketing last year which funded thousands of jobs, from the CEOs of ad agencies to the guys pasting up billboards on the Interstate. So how would a merger of the two companies affect the advertising industry? Advertising Age asked several players in the biz what they thought of the idea of Chrysler and GM hooking up and most few positive things to say. The consensus was that GM already has too many brands to promote, adding three more wouldn't benefit anyone. The execs said they would expect GM to at least sell off Chrysler, if not Dodge, too, which would trim GM's ad budget, but also cut the number of marketing firms needed. At first it would seem Chrysler's agency, Omnicom Group's BBDO, would be an instant loser. But auto consultant Gordon Wangers gives the firm some chance of being kept on. Wangers said GM might just see potential in BBDO's experience and creativity, and throw even more business its way. The magazine also speculates that GM's veteran VP of sales, Mark LaNeve, would have a better chance of keeping his job in a merger instead of Chrysler's VP-chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl Meyer. Don't think this concerns you? Think again. Consider where your local newspaper or favorite magazine gets most of its funding. Still not concerned? TV shows, televised sporting events, motorsports, and, uh, blogs, are all ad based, with automotive ads being a big source of income. Fewer brands means fewer ads.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:15:16 PM
Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz E63AMG WagonA covered up E63 AMG Wagon has been caught doing the rounds on public roads before we see it in showrooms some time next year. It looks like the potential ungainliness of the new E-Class could be gracefully smoothed out by the longer lines of the wagon. Of course, even if it is still ungainly, you'll get 85 extra horsepower over the current model, which should let you get away from gawkers with increased alacrity. That also means the baby on board might need a G-suit. The "Duplo" rear lights are probably mule-only fitments, but they'd be pretty cool if they were wrapped in polished housings.
posted : 10/22/2008 @10:58:49 PM
Daimler's car2go: Rent a Smart anywhere, anytime

Cars represent freedom, right? Sure, but shouldn't that same freedom be available to those who can't justify purchasing their own car? Daimler thinks so, and has created a new pilot program called car2go that allows subscribers to rent a smart fortwo for just 19-cents a minute or less, depending on how long you need the car. The initial roll-out is taking place in Ulm, Germany and begins October 24. The cars can be reserved at a moment's notice from the internet, a mobile phone or in passing using an electronic chip that's given to the user upon the account's creation. There are no limits as to how far the car car be driven, and it can be parked and relocked wherever the driver's trip ends as long as it's within the city limits. At the outset, there will be 50 smart fortwo's in use by car2go. For a trial period, only Daimler employees will be able to use the service, but the automaker hopes to expand to all Ulm citizens in the spring of 2009. We imagine the car2go service will expand into other locations based on how successful this pilot program proves to be, but don't hold your breath for smart rentals in the U.S. anytime soon.
posted : 10/22/2008 @10:42:22 PM
2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG and SL600

Finding the ideal luxury sports car is a Goldilocks proposition: cars that fulfill either descriptive – luxury or sports – are piled high as Annapurna. For instance, the Ferrari F430 is a luxurious sports car, but it's not a luxury car. The current CL63 is a sporty luxury car, but it's not a sports car. Try to find a conveyance in which the little girl with the golden locks would sigh "This one is just right" – a car that has the sporting reflexes to keep her heart beating and a cabin supple enough for her to unwind in when the twisties are finished – and you see the field is disturbingly minuscule. Against all odds, the SL63 is that car: Goldilocks' Golden Mean.
posted : 10/17/2008 @5:17:15 PM
KTM X-Bow captures GT4 Sports Light championship

KTM has performed well during the X-Bow's campaign in the European GT4 Sports Light series, winning the championship in its inaugural season. In fact, the KTM X-Bow claimed the top three spots at the end of the 18-round series, and in the process, KTM's first four-wheeled street racer managed to beat out a slew of Donkervoorts and Lotuses. German X-Bow driver Christopher Haase piloted the KaTooM to a number of victories and won the driver's championship in the process. Somewhat amazingly, the angular little orange and black roadster was even able to pick on much larger and more powerful competition, like Aston Martins, Ford Mustangs and Corvettes. We think it's fair to call the X-Bow a success for KTM, which now looks forward to bigger and better things. Up next is an even faster version of its racer as well as a range of city cars and off-roaders. Lest we should forget where the company's roots are, there are plenty of new sporting two-wheelers in the pipeline as well.
posted : 10/16/2008 @6:09:41 PM
AMG boss confirms future hybrid and diesel plans

Saying that "only a fool would ignore" the emissions of a new vehicle and the current global economy, AMG head-man Volker Mornhinweg realizes that it can't keep building gas-guzzling supercars with reckless abandon. Not that the company will lose its performance edge, mind you. In fact, hybrids and diesels could offer a meaningful performance boost if tuned properly. How so? Torque. Diesel engines are known for their massive axle-shreading twist, and electric motors, an essential part of any hybrid powertrain, make maximum power right off idle, allowing for an internal combustion engine that's tuned for stratospheric revs. In a recent interview with CAR, the notion of fitting a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter oil-burning V6 inside the C class was kicked around. Mornhinweg suggests such a vehicle is a distinct possibility as AMG moves forward. Hybrid technology could be based on the new drivetrain powering the recently-unveiled S400 BlueHYBRID. No matter what the future holds, we can be sure that the AMG crew is obviously not made up of a bunch of fools, and will therefore continue to offer cars with the highest performance pedigree, regardless of what's underhood.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:52:33 PM
MG planning supercar SV-S WRC convertible

Following all the plot twists in the ongoing saga of what's become of MG Rover in recent years is more difficult than unravelling the Harry Potter series in a half hour. Looking like something distinctly last century, the MG XPower SV started life as a derivate of the Qvale Mangusta. Ex-racer William Riley, a member of the famed English automotive clan, managed to wheel and deal for the rights to the MG X-Power name, as well as the flared and gilled V8-powered supercar intender. What better thing to do with a kevlar-bodied piece of automotive bombast but cut the top off? That's exactly the thinking that's led to the prototype MG X-Power SV-S WRC. WRC stands for William Riley Convertible, and the car sports a supercharged V8 and is claimed to be capable of hitting 62 mph in 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 195 mph. It will cost Anglophiles £87,000 to support their local supercar bakery, though there will be lower achievers that cost less but still deliver the same jagged-glass eye pain. Still, considering that this mobile cheese grater is about half the cost when powered by a 3.5 liter Ford V6, it's a bargain for such an exclusive car.
posted : 10/13/2008 @8:47:36 PM
Airstream unveils toy-toting PanAmerica trailer

Being able to complain that hauling your 34-foot Airstream around means leaving your full-dresser Harley at home for vacation strikes us as an enviable problem to have. For those of you with a surfeit of high-end toys and a longing to hit the road, Airstream has you covered with its new PanAmerica model. Being a high-end product itself, the PanAmerica sports Airstream's trademark aluminum construction and mid-century modern styling that ensures it's perpetually in vogue. The best part of the trailer, however, is that it sports a garage in its aft compartment that can swallow a pair of motorcycles, some ATVs, or our current favorite, a red Radio Flyer wagon. The garage has an 11-foot depth and is comprehensively equipped with tie downs and wheel clamps so your scooter will stay put while you drag everything over mountain passes. The dragging part will require a pretty beefy tow vehicle. You'll want your pickup to have the largest available engine to cope with the 11,500-pound gross weight rating. Once you've docked your rig at camp, it's nothing but traditional Airstream class inside, meaning stainless appliances, indirect lighting, and snazzy cabinetry. It all looks like some kind of 1950's Brasserie, and if we had 85 large to drop on a jet-age home away from home (and a truck brawny enough to pull it), we'd be blogging from various bucolic undisclosed locations on a daily basis.
posted : 10/5/2008 @5:34:05 PM
Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz GullwingThanks to the box-office success story that was Back To The Future, the De Lorean may be the most recognizable instance of the gull-wing door, but the most historically significant and the first model to truly popularize this unique portal was the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Since then, the German automaker has continued experimenting with the gull-wing design, with the C111 and C112 concepts from the '60s and '70s. Apparently, the time has finally come for a return of the iconic design feature on a production supercar. We've already seen spy shots of what appears to be an odd mash-up of Dodge Viper parts with McLaren supercar bits tacked together, but the latest mule now appears to have the upwards-opening doors that could give the new model its name. Besides the doors, we can definitely see the long hood and short deck styling that echos the design of the current SLR. Rumor has it that the new supercar will wear the AMG badge and be powered by at least 550 horses from an undetermined powerplant hooked to a seven speed automatic transmission. More as we get it.
posted : 10/3/2008 @6:29:35 PM
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